Quote:
Originally Posted by
Vaelian 
I appreciate it when people take risks to accomplish useful goals, which this was not. They changed the design for the sake of it, not to accomplish any objective goal.
This is not a question of sensibility but rather of practicability. The new designs accomplish absolutely nothing in terms of usability or practicability, they do not have an objective goal; they do not actually improve anything; but they come with compromises; therefore they can not be called innovation. The manufacturing process may be innovative, but the manufacturing process is not a product, therefore it is outside the scope of this debate. Furthermore, Apple used to be known for using EXISTING technologies in innovative ways, not for creating new technologies and using it to produce the same products.
I admit there can be a debate here. To me, the bold decision is to remove the built-in disc (CD/DVD) reader. I have no doubt that everyone will soon copy this, after criticizing it, as usual. This makes easier the shrinking of the screen thickness. Admitedly, this point is positive from design point of view only, and may even be detrimental to functionality , as already noted (because the speakers will be even smaller).
Obsession for smaller, thinner, lighter, minimal design is in Apple's DNA.
It contributes to positive side effects, such as energy savings. Of course , this is something very few people care about when it comes to Desktop machines, but mastering these issues has been key to success on mobiles, and will gain greater importance in the future, I believe.
So, in short, whether the underlying logic can be criticized, it is at work, and moves on in a very coherent and predictable way.